A Love Story

by Jean C. Joachim

  “No law against you two dating, is there?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “I suppose not. Do you think she’s seeing someone else?”

  “Callie? With the way she looks at you? Doubt it,” Jonesy said with conviction.

  “Hang the university…hang sexual harassment. I’m going to ask her out.”

  Jonesy patted his arm with one hand while she began to raise her mug to her mouth with the other.

  “Good idea,” she said.

  Mac left the kitchen and with a purposeful stride of his long legs was back in at his desk in no time. Jonesy chuckled to herself and waited until she could wipe the smile off her face before she returned to her desk.

  * * * *

  Tired after she finished studying at night, going to classes and working all day, Callie fell into bed without much thought to her social life. Sometimes she couldn’t sleep and lay awake, daydreaming about Mac. The attraction between them pulled at her heart and her body. Being in his arms, kissing, was heavenly.

  At first, she felt guilty about her growing attraction to Mac until she realized it was time to put Kyle aside…and live her life fully. She laughed at Mac’s jokes, asked him for advice, respected him and couldn’t stop staring at his lips, wanting him to kiss her. She wanted him to touch her, even make love to her, with every cell in her body.

  On weekends, she took long walks for exercise, using the time to dream about her life, her future and Mac. Kyle took a backseat as images of and desire for Mac took over her heart. Though she wanted him, she was too shy to make a move, sensing he preferred to be the aggressor, which was fine with her. By Sunday night, she found herself feeling melancholy, wishing for more with Mac but unsure how to proceed.

  The next day, he called Callie into his office. She came with pad and pencil. He closed the door.

  “This is personal, Callie,” he announced. “Are you free for dinner this Sunday night?”

  “This Sunday, like a date?”

  “Yeah, a date.”

  “I guess. I mean I have no plans.”

  “Do you want to go out with me?” he asked, appearing unsure of himself.

  She blushed deeply almost convinced he wasn’t sure about asking her out.

  “I’m free, I guess. I do want to go out with you,” she said getting even pinker.

  “Good. Wonderful. What time should I pick you up?” he said.

  “How about seven?” she asked.

  “I’ll be by at seven sharp,” he replied.

  She got up, looking nervous, her eyes darting around, avoiding his, moving quickly to the door, anxious to leave.

  Callie could hardly wait until Sunday. She dug into her closet and searched for the right thing to wear. She didn’t have much to choose from. Do I wear something low cut, or is it too suggestive? If I wear something too conservative, will I come across as a prude? It all boils down to the ultimate question. Do I want to sleep with him or not? And if I do, is tonight the right time? This was technically her first date, though they spent every Friday evening together. Perhaps this is too soon? Callie had lots of questions but few answers.

  Sunday arrived and Mac had decided to take Callie to a small, family-run Italian restaurant around the corner from his house. She dressed seductively to keep her options open, knowing the woman could always say “no”.

  She picked out the blouse receiving the most attention from Mac at the office, noticing he stared at her chest every time she wore it. It was white with a scoop neck and ruffles down the front. She tightened her bra straps to pull her breasts up a little more, making her cleavage more alluring.

  She donned a plain, dark brown, hip-hugging wool skirt and the highest heels she owned. Adding extra make-up emphasized her eyes and mouth. Callie wore her thick hair loose.

  She noticed how handsome Mac looked in a chocolate brown corduroy sports jacket with camel wool pants, a white shirt and a gold tie. Anne, a housemate, got to the door first and opened it. Callie noticed her look of surprise to find Dean Caldwell standing there.

  “You look great, Callie,” he said, holding her coat for her. She hoped he’d appreciate her wearing the sexy blouse that made his eyes light up at the office.

  “Thank you,” she said, flashing him her warmest smile.

  La Traviata, a small, old-fashioned Italian restaurant, had tables with red and white checkered table cloths and small booths covered in red vinyl. There were candles on every table in old Chianti bottles and “Arrivaderci Roma” played on the jukebox. Mac and Callie sat at a table for two in the corner. He ordered a bottle of wine, which they started while they waited for their food. Callie’s hands were shaking slightly as she pushed the bread away, showing no appetite.

  While there were many other people in the restaurant, Mac and Callie focused totally on each other. They leaned in closer to be able to hear over the noise of others talking, laughing and clinking plates and the tings of knives and forks coming together. Mac placed his hand over hers on the table.

  “Tell me why you came to Kensington State.”

  “Two reasons. One, it was a school I could afford, at least for the first year and it was far away from where I was living.”

  “Why did you want to go far away?” he asked.

  “Needed a new beginning,” she said, looking down at the tablecloth.

  “Why? What were you leaving behind? There is so much I don’t know about you, Callie. You are very quiet about your past,” Mac ventured.

  “I’m a private person. I don’t like to tell everyone everything about myself.”

  “But I’m not everyone and I will keep your confidence, like I do every day, it’s my job,” he said, prodding her.

  “Can’t we enjoy the here and now?”

  “What’s so terrible you can’t tell me?”

  “Not terrible for anyone else, only for me.”

  “Can’t I help you?”

  “Not unless you can raise the dead,” she said.

  Mac sat back and let go of her hand. He shifted in his seat. She could tell she said the wrong thing. She looked away, trying to figure out what to say next. When she returned her gaze to him, his eyes were shuttered, his face a mask. It was evident right away keeping her secret was pushing Mac away. In his eyes she could see he was hurt at her refusal to let him get closer to her. She knew he was trustworthy—an effective dean had to keep many confidences. Callie insulted him and she knew it.

  He shot her a questioning look before his face turned to stone again. Clearly he didn’t understand her reluctance to confide in him. Callie felt his coolness immediately. She panicked, not knowing what to do. She was losing him which was the last thing she wanted. She looked into his eyes and saw only a reflection of herself, not the warmth she always saw. The sparkle, the desire in his eyes had gone. She hurt him in some way she didn’t understand. She had to decide, if she wanted Mac, she had to come clean about Kyle. If she didn’t, Mac would certainly move on, which she could see by his body language.

  “Okay. What do you want to know?” she said, taking a deep breath.

  “Why is a beautiful woman like you alone,” he asked.

  “You mean without a man?”

  “Yes,” he said, looking into her eyes, searching for the truth.

  She paused, her breath coming quickly. She looked at the floor, at the back of the chair next to Mac and at her hand, finally lifting her head up to face him, her eyes wide.

  “I was engaged. Two years ago he was killed in Iraq. I haven’t been with anyone since…my choice,” she said, her voice shaking, tears pricking at the backs of her eyes.

  * * * *

  Mac was stunned into silence. Perhaps this was more than he bargained for, a woman carrying a torch for a dead man, probably a dead hero. Callie fought to control her emotions, but a tear slipped out of the corner of her eye. She brushed it away and looked down at the table.

  Mac was touched, his compassionate side brushed away his concerns about Callie’s past. He was re
lieved no man owned a prior claim on her, no one alive anyway. Mac kissed her hand and continued to hold it. She looked into his eyes, where he saw her pain, squeezing her hand gently in response.

  “Enough information? I don’t want to talk about Kyle, if you don’t mind. It’s time for me to get on with my life. Let’s talk about now, about you, about the school,” she said, her voice still shaky.

  “I’m so sorry for your loss, Callie,” he responded.

  “Thank you,” she said, trying to smile at him.

  Now Mac understood why Callie was often so sad. What must it be like to go through such trauma? To have so much and then to lose it all- one minute you have a future, love, expectation of marriage and in the next instant - you have nothing. She lost her parents and then her fiancé. He was impressed she had the strength to charge ahead on her own.

  The food arrived. They ate in silence. Callie barely touched her food, picking at it, not eating even half of her meal. Mac shelved the seduction he planned for the evening. It seemed to be taking advantage of the situation, of her, in some way he didn’t fully understand but felt in his gut. He liked Callie, respected her and what she was doing with her life. Although he still felt a strong attraction to her, especially when she wore the white ruffled blouse, he didn’t want to push her. She meant more than a conquest, a one-night stand to him. She was different, quality, the kind of woman you want to wake up with the next morning.

  Callie smiled in relief, her secret was out. She made the right choice, opening up to him, saving the situation because he didn’t leave or judge her but became sympathetic and affectionate. The wine relaxed them both, helping to ease over tense moments. Mac continued to hold Callie’s hand. They lapsed into easy conversation about things at school. Callie asked Mac for advice on her professors and classes. He gave her the lowdown on who was good and who wasn’t, after swearing her to secrecy. Then it was time to go.

  Mac pulled Callie to him and put his arm around her shoulders while she put her arm around his waist as they walked home slowly. Mac decided to take her home. It was a first date, after all. But when they got to the road where they would turn left and walk the nine blocks to her house or turn right and walk a block to his, Callie asked to go to his house.

  “Can we stop in your house so I can use the bathroom?” She asked.

  “Sure. No problem,” he said, turning right.

  They walked up the flagstone path to the familiar blue front door, flanked on either side by azaleas that bloomed in the spring and yews. The light over the front door shone down on the couple as Mac easily slipped the key in the lock and turned the door handle. Callie scooted inside and headed straight for the bathroom on the right.

  When Callie came out, Mac was perched on the sofa, looking out the picture window at the sky with the lights off so he could see the stars. Callie joined him.

  “Can you find the Big Dipper?” she asked, sitting down next to him.

  “Of course,” he said pointing it out to her.

  Mac loved astronomy, it was his hobby. He started an astronomy club at Kensington State when he was teaching physics. She got close to him to follow where he was pointing. The scents of her fresh hair and her perfume turned him on. He faced her, she turned to him at the same time and moved closer. Mac’s resolve to wait crumbled as he was overcome with his passion for Callie-he wanted so much to make love to her. He wound his arms around her, pulled her closer and kissed her deeply, his tongue connecting with hers. She put her arms around his neck and drew him to her for another kiss. His lips captured her lower lip and his tongue caressed it slowly. He knew she liked it because he felt her body shiver. Mac kissed her hard and she raised her tongue to tease him, starting a fire inside him. The kissing got intense.

  He loosened his tie, and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. Callie took off her coat. Mac pulled her to him for another kiss then reached down for her breast. She moaned at his touch. He unfastened her buttons, opened her blouse and looked at her. Her breasts were perfect, exactly as he imagined. He bent down to kiss one then came up to give her another deep kiss, possessing her mouth while his hand gently squeezed her breast. Callie unbuttoned his shirt and pulled his tee shirt up then she slid her hands up his bare chest, feeling the softness of his chest hair and the power of his muscles. She pushed his shirt off his shoulders. Then the doorbell rang.

  Mac and Callie jumped apart, startled by the loud noise. Mac’s shirt and tee shirt hung out over his pants, Callie’s blouse was out of her skirt and totally open. Mac cursed, shrugged his shirt back on, turned on the light and got up to go to the door. Callie buttoned up.

  He opened up to greet Dave Williams. Callie went to the door, tucking her shirt into her skirt. Dave looked from one to the other, seeing their faces, their hair, Mac’s state of undress, the lipstick on his face and understood immediately what was going on before he arrived.

  “So sorry to interrupt you, Mac,” he said, staring at Callie, “But there’s a fire at Dempsey Hall. I thought you might like to ride over there with me…bring your lady friend, too.”

  Mac was tucking in his shirt as Dave spoke. Callie was embarrassed and half-hiding behind Mac.

  “Callie, this is Dave Williams, our illustrious police chief. Dave this is Callie Richards, my lady friend. What’s the damage? ” Mac asked, more annoyed than embarrassed.

  “According to the fire chief, not too bad. Some kid on the floor used the fire extinguisher.

  Callie smiled at him and went for her coat. When they got into Dave’s car, he turned on the siren to impress her.

  Mac jumped out of the car soon after they arrived.

  “Excuse me, Callie. I have to take care of this.”

  “I understand,” she said, hanging back.

  Mac and Dave went over to the fire chief. A student had been smoking in his room and fell asleep, or passed out. The curtains caught fire, but a quick-thinking student got it under control before the whole room went up. The fire department got there in time to head off more extensive damage. Mac had to take care of things.

  “I’m going to have to be here a while, Callie. I’m sorry. I know you have an early class tomorrow,” he said.

  She nodded.

  “Is it okay if Dave drives you home?” he asked, wishing he could run back to his sofa, back to where they were headed.

  “Sure, Mac. No problem,” she said.

  He gave her a goodnight kiss and turned to go back to work. Callie got in the car with Dave and gave him her address.

  In five minutes, she was home getting into bed, stopping to write in her journal about the evening and the fire Mac Caldwell started in her…the power of his kiss, the gentle excitement of his touch made her want more. Callie didn’t feel disloyal to Kyle anymore, she felt excited about her growing relationship with Mac as he quietly took his place in her heart. She moved on with her life and the time came to take the next step. She was ready for it. Besides, she couldn’t resist Mac any longer. She fell asleep dreaming about making love with him.

  Chapter Six

  It was awkward at first seeing Mac at the office after their date, but Callie tried to be professional. When they came face to face, he gave her a warm smile, which she returned. They never discussed the events of that evening but kept their secret to themselves. She fended off questions about why she was at the fire from other office workers, tenaciously holding on to her privacy.

  Midterm exam time approached and the office bustled with too much work for them to be constantly distracted by each other. Evenings and weekends were taken over with projects, papers, visits to schools and studying. Friday evenings were their only times together. While their mutual attraction remained strong, their friendship grew quickly and they looked forward to being able to share their lives with each other on Friday night.

  Their financial arrangement still precluded making love on Friday nights. When Callie prepared to leave, she lingered at the door until Mac, took her in his arms and kissed her passionately. C
allie felt heat from him travel down her body, starting a desire within her for him. Before they got carried away, she extricated herself slowly, almost unable to leave his arms.

  Mac stepped back to give her the space she wanted. With a rapidly beating heart, glow in her cheeks and love in her heart, Callie slipped out the door, waving her usual goodbye while Mac watched her walk away with hungry eyes.

  Crisp fall days transitioned into cool winter days quickly in Willow Falls. At the end of the week it would be Thanksgiving vacation and Callie had nowhere to go. Her sister, her only relative, lived in Seattle. Callie didn’t have airfare or even an invitation to visit there. They had not been close for years.

  Everyone would be leaving soon. The office closed early on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and would be closed until the following Monday. Those five days seemed like an eternity to Callie.

  Kyle didn’t have any family, either, one thing drawing Callie to him. But his high school buddies became his family. Every year they made Thanksgiving dinner together at his best friend, John Weston’s house and included Callie, who loved being part of the group. The boys and girls shopped and everyone pitched in to help with the cooking and the clean-up. There were ten of them, crowding the Weston’s table.

  When Kyle went into the service, so did John. Thanksgivings became smaller. The guys who stayed behind and the girls of the servicemen still met at Thanksgiving. After Kyle died, Callie went once, but felt awkward going again. Several of the couples got married. They were moving on with their lives and Callie was stuck, pining for Kyle and going nowhere. That’s when she decided to go to graduate school.

  Here she was, with no place to go, missing Kyle and the gang terribly. Jonesy assumed Callie was spending Thanksgiving with Mac and therefore did not invite Callie to join her large family. Mac seemed overworked and distracted. She didn’t want to ask him what his plans were. To her, the ideal Thanksgiving would be Mac, Jason and Callie.

  None of the students stayed at school. In fact, the dorms closed. Those who remained had to bunk in with students who lived in apartments or find hotel rooms. Callie felt lucky she rented a room in a private house otherwise she’d be out on the street. She forced her mind to stop self-pity and concentrate on her work. I will have a roof over my head, so stop complaining.